Shell Photos

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Venus comb murex. Scientists speculate that the distinctively long and narrow spines are a protection against fish and other mollusks and prevent the mollusk from sinking into the soft, sandy mud where it is commonly found, Murex pecten
Venus comb murex. Scientists speculate that the distinctively long and narrow spines are a protection against fish and other mollusks and prevent the mollusk from sinking into the soft, sandy mud where it is commonly found.
Species: Venus comb murex, Murex pecten
Image ID: 12970  
Glory of the Sea cone shell, brown form. The Glory of the Sea cone shell, once one of the rarest and most sought after of all seashells, remains the most famous and one of the most desireable shells for modern collectors, Conus gloriamaris
Glory of the Sea cone shell, brown form. The Glory of the Sea cone shell, once one of the rarest and most sought after of all seashells, remains the most famous and one of the most desireable shells for modern collectors.
Species: Glory of the seas cone, Conus gloriamaris
Image ID: 08732  
Young California Sea Lion Discovers a Seashell, Coronado Islands, Baja California, Mexico, Zalophus californianus, Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado)
Young California Sea Lion Discovers a Seashell, Coronado Islands, Baja California, Mexico.
Species: California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 36536  
Chestnut cowrie with mantle withdrawn, in front of golden gorgonian, Cypraea spadicea, San Diego, California
Chestnut cowrie with mantle withdrawn, in front of golden gorgonian.
Species: Chestnut Cowrie, Date Cowrie, Cypraea spadicea
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 37289  
Chestnut cowry, Cypraea spadicea, San Diego, California
Chestnut cowry.
Species: Chestnut cowrie, Date cowrie, Cypraea spadicea
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 34206  
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13426  
Chestnut cowrie with mantle extended, feather duster worm, Cypraea spadicea, Eudistylia polymorpha, Santa Cruz Island
Chestnut cowrie with mantle extended, feather duster worm.
Species: Chestnut cowrie, Date cowrie, Cypraea spadicea, Eudistylia polymorpha
Location: Santa Cruz Island, California
Image ID: 01061  
Chestnut cowry, mantle exposed, Cypraea spadicea, San Miguel Island
Chestnut cowry, mantle exposed.
Species: Chestnut cowrie, Date cowrie, Cypraea spadicea
Location: San Miguel Island, California
Image ID: 00624  
Chestnut cowrie with mantle extended, Cypraea spadicea, San Miguel Island
Chestnut cowrie with mantle extended.
Species: Chestnut cowrie, Date cowrie, Cypraea spadicea
Location: San Miguel Island, California
Image ID: 01062  
Califonia cone, Coronado Islands, Conus californicus, Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado)
Califonia cone, Coronado Islands.
Species: California cone, Conus californicus
Location: Coronado Islands (Islas Coronado), Baja California, Mexico
Image ID: 02551  
Flamingo tongue snail, Cyphoma gibbosum, Roatan
Flamingo tongue snail.
Species: Flamingo tongue cowrie, Cyphoma gibbosum
Location: Roatan, Honduras
Image ID: 02554  
Flamingo tongue snail, Cyphoma gibbosum, Roatan
Flamingo tongue snail.
Species: Flamingo tongue cowrie, Cyphoma gibbosum
Location: Roatan, Honduras
Image ID: 02567  
Chestnut cowrie with mantle extended, Cypraea spadicea, San Miguel Island
Chestnut cowrie with mantle extended.
Species: Chestnut cowrie, Date cowrie, Cypraea spadicea
Location: San Miguel Island, California
Image ID: 01035  
Green abalone with mantle fringe visible extending outside shell, Haliotis fulgens
Green abalone with mantle fringe visible extending outside shell.
Species: Green abalone, Haliotis fulgens
Image ID: 09242  
Softshell turtle, Apalone spinifera
Softshell turtle.
Species: Softshell turtle, Apalone spinifera
Image ID: 09805  
Shell Beach Reef Exposed at Extreme Low Tide, La Jolla, California
Shell Beach Reef Exposed at Extreme Low Tide, La Jolla, California.
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 37988  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21612  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21609  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21622  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21640  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21652  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21660  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21661  
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs, Enhydra lutris, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21662  
Venus comb murex. Scientists speculate that the distinctively long and narrow spines are a protection against fish and other mollusks and prevent the mollusk from sinking into the soft, sandy mud where it is commonly found, Murex pecten
Venus comb murex. Scientists speculate that the distinctively long and narrow spines are a protection against fish and other mollusks and prevent the mollusk from sinking into the soft, sandy mud where it is commonly found.
Species: Venus comb murex, Murex pecten
Image ID: 12971  
Thorny oyster or spiny oyster, Spondylus
Thorny oyster or spiny oyster.
Species: Thorny oyster, Spondylus
Image ID: 12972  
Thorny oyster or spiny oyster, Spondylus
Thorny oyster or spiny oyster.
Species: Thorny oyster, Spondylus
Image ID: 12973  
Thorny oyster or spiny oyster, Spondylus
Thorny oyster or spiny oyster.
Species: Thorny oyster, Spondylus
Image ID: 12974  
Thorny oyster or spiny oyster, Spondylus
Thorny oyster or spiny oyster.
Species: Thorny oyster, Spondylus
Image ID: 12975  
Thorny oyster or spiny oyster, Spondylus
Thorny oyster or spiny oyster.
Species: Thorny oyster, Spondylus
Image ID: 12976  
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All photographs copyright © Phillip Colla / Oceanlight.com, all rights reserved worldwide.